Growing green onions in a greenhouse in winter

Growing green onions in a greenhouse is profitable at any time of the year, especially in winter.. Of all greens, this is the most productive crop. High yields can be achieved with minimal investment. To start a business, all you need is a greenhouse at your dacha and savings to purchase planting material.

Features of growing in a greenhouse

Growing onions is profitable in winter. Demand for them increases at this time, which is reflected in the purchase price. In southern regions, forcing onions is cheaper because heating and lighting costs are lower.

Opening a small onion growing business with one or two greenhouses doesn't require registration. No labor is required. Medium and large greenhouse businesses require registration, taxes, accounting, and hired labor.

The investment in greenhouse construction and equipment, as well as seed and fertilizer purchases, pays for itself within six months on average. To increase profitability, in addition to onions, equally popular dill, aromatic basil, and healthy parsley are grown in the greenhouse.

Advantages of the greenhouse method

In protected soil, you can force onions year-round. This is ideal for home consumption and for starting a family business. Every three weeks, you can harvest up to 5 kg of onions per square meter of bed. This is possible with proper labor management, the use of shelving, and fertilizing.

The advantage of protected soil is that it's easier to create favorable conditions for the crop's growth. Onions are a cold-hardy plant that requires light, fertile soil, and moisture. Providing them with everything they need is easy in a greenhouse.

Planting dates

Onions can be grown indoors several times. It takes about a month to forcibly produce one batch of onions. To ensure a consistent supply of greens, bulbs are planted every two weeks from October to April.

Preparatory work

Greenhouse space is limited. Shelving is installed to maximize the use of every square meter. Multi-tiered cultivation of feathers saves space and increases yield.

Purchase of shelving

You can make shelving yourself from lumber or metal angles. It's easier to buy ready-made units, as their cost will quickly pay for itself. It's recommended to purchase shelving with shelves approximately 35 cm wide.

These designs are easy to work with:

• the soil warms up quickly;
• onions grow quickly;
• It is easy to care for seedlings and harvest.

Installation of lighting fixtures

In greenhouses with multi-tiered shelving, lighting fixtures are installed at each level. Installing LED strip lights reduces energy costs. The recommended power for LED fixtures is 25W.

Greenhouses can use fluorescent lamps with a power rating of 15 to 58 watts. Specialized retailers offer phytolamps to gardeners. Their emission spectrum is similar to sunlight. While backlighting is not required in summer, it is essential in winter greenhouses.

Watering and heating

Warm, settled water is essential for watering. By investing in a drip irrigation system, gardeners make their work easier and save water. To heat the room, they install a heating system, which includes:

• heat source (boiler, stove, electric or gas heater);
• pipe system.

What a greenhouse should be like

The growth of any garden crop requires the right conditions. To grow green onions in a greenhouse during winter, It is necessary to ensure optimal temperature and light conditions:

• daytime air temperature 18-20 °C;
• at night it should not fall below 12-15 °C;
• the duration of daylight hours is not less than 12 hours.

To create such a microclimate, gardeners use two types of greenhouses:

• heated;
• unheated.

Cold unheated greenhouse

This type of greenhouse is used in early spring and fall. The soil and air are heated by the sun during the day. The structure's foundation is a frame made of wooden beams or metal profiles. The following materials are used for covering:

• glass;
• perennial film for greenhouses;
• polycarbonate.

These covering materials retain heat well at night and allow sunlight to pass through during the day. Various models of polycarbonate greenhouses are available, varying in size, shape, and cost. You can assemble them yourself. The investment will pay for itself quickly.

The frame is installed on the foundation. For unheated greenhouses, simple timber frame structures are suitable. To ensure a long-lasting greenhouse, use softwood timber. The surface is treated with antifungal agents to prevent fungus.

Heated greenhouse

In winter, green onions are grown in heated greenhouses. The structure is the same as that of unheated greenhouses:

• foundation;
• frame;
• coating.

In regions with cold winters, the foundation is made of poured concrete or concrete blocks to reduce heat loss.

Winter daylight hours are short, so artificial lighting is added to the greenhouse. A heat source (a boiler) is installed to maintain heat, and pipes are installed around the perimeter. Water is supplied to the greenhouse from a well, a borehole, or a water main.

Growing green onions from seeds

Onions are grown in winter from seeds or bulbs. Planting techniques differ. In cold, unheated greenhouses, green onions are grown in spring from nigella seeds. These can be sown. late autumn (without soaking) or early in spring.

Selection and preparation of seeds

In greenhouses, varieties suitable for closed ground are grown, producing tender, tasty feathers:

• Welsh onion;
• shallots;
• slimy onion;
• chives.

In the spring, seeds soak before plantingFor convenience, they are placed in gauze bags and kept moist for 24 to 48 hours. Before sowing, they are slightly dried.

Boarding order

The soil is thoroughly moistened the day before sowing, and furrows are made the following day. They are spaced 20 cm apart. The seeds are laid out 2-3 cm apart and covered with a layer of peat or humus. The seeding depth is 2.5 cm.

Planting with bulbs

Multi-germ onion varieties are planted in a greenhouse to force green onions in winter. They are more productive and produce more greens. When selecting seed, choose bulbs approximately 4 cm in diameter.

To determine how many buds a variety has, cut off the top of the bulb and count the number of buds. They're easily visible; they're green or pale yellow. The best green onion varieties:

• Bessonovsky;
• Arzamas;
• Strigunovsky;
• Chernigov.

Before begin landing, The bulbs are prepared. This takes several days. First, they are heated at 40°C (104°F). Then, they are soaked for several hours in water heated to 50°C (122°F). The neck of each bulb is cut off at the shoulder before being placed in water. After this, the planting material is kept in a damp cloth for three days.

Soil preparation

Growing onions in a greenhouse over winter begins with preparing the soil. This soil can be reused at least 3-4 times. The substrate can be prepared using garden soil or fine sawdust.

The following fertilizers are applied per 1 m² of soil:

• superphosphate granules 30 g;
• sodium chloride crystals 15 g;
• compost 8-10 kg.

Add ash and ammonium nitrate granules if using sawdust as a substrate. They are scattered over the top. Ash acts as an acidifier and a source of micronutrients, while nitrate provides nitrogen to the bulbs. No other fertilizers are needed.

Growing technologies

There are different technologies for growing green onions in a greenhouse in winter.. Some involve the use of soil (pavement, strip), others do not (hydroponics, mats).

Bridge method

This method of growing onions for greens saves space in the greenhouse, reduces labor and time, and is especially effective when using shelving. The bulbs are planted tightly in the fertile substrate.

Tape method

The tape method is used to plant onion bulbs for green shoots (in winter and spring). To implement it:

• the ridge is leveled with a rake;
• mark out furrows, maintaining an interval of 20 cm;
• they stick in onion sets in 3 cm increments.

Hydroponics

This method doesn't require a fertile onion substrate. To plant onion sets, you'll need:

• water tank size 40 x 80 cm, height 20 cm;
• cover with holes for heads;
• compressor;
• heater.

During the root formation stage, the water is heated to 20°C. Later, it is raised to 25°C to stimulate root growth. The compressor is run for 6-12 hours.

Use distilled, rainwater, or filtered tap water. Add hydroponic fertilizer. You can purchase a ready-made one (POKON, FloraDuo Bloom, Greenworld Specialized Hydroculture) or prepare your own.

There are several recipes for preparing fertilizers for hydroponics:

• Gerik's solution;
• Hoagland's solution;
• Ellis solution.

Growing on mats

There are special mats for greenhouses on sale., They are first soaked in a fertilizer solution, then the seedlings are planted. The heads are spaced tightly. Root growth occurs over the first 10 days. During this time, the mats are covered with cloth, and the temperature is maintained at a low level.

After 10 days, the fabric is removed and the temperature is raised to 25°C. Using artificial and natural lighting, the crops are provided with 12 hours of daylight. The mats are watered with a fertilizer solution.

Onion care

Caring for onions indoors (in a greenhouse) is not difficult. The main steps are as follows:

• the first watering is carried out after planting;
• until the end of the root formation process, maintain the air temperature at 20 °C;
• 14 days after planting, water with a solution of manganese to prevent fungal diseases;
• They carry out an inspection, remove rotten heads, and then increase the air temperature to 23 °C.

The room is regularly ventilated. Watering is done once a week.

Marketing and sales of onions

I begin growing green onions commercially after conducting preliminary calculations. A business plan is drawn up that takes into account all costs for seed, water, light, and heat.

The greenhouse owner must register as a private entrepreneur to be able to sell products:

• at wholesale bases;
• in their stores;
• on the market.

Green onions are a perishable product, so it's advantageous to enter into supply contracts with retail outlets. This makes it easy to schedule onion production according to the delivery dates specified in the contract.

Competition in the market is high, so they first determine sales markets and then invest in production.

Conclusions

Growing green onions for greens is most profitable in the summer. It reduces energy and heating costs. Experts estimate that the profitability of forcing onions in the summer is 50%, while forcing them in the winter is 30%.